Summary
Summary of Dangerous Liaisons
Who it’s for
For readers who love psychological contests, unreliable accounts, and stories in which polished manners conceal ruthless intentions.
What this book is
Dangerous Liaisons by Choderlos de Laclos is a novel in letters about two French aristocrats who use seduction to punish enemies and control other people. Readers still turn to it for its dangerous contest of intelligence, where private desires become weapons and even sincere love offers little protection.
In this summary
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Key point 1 of 5
In the aristocratic society of eighteenth-century France, reputation opens doors and closes them. The Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont understand this better than anyone. Former lovers, they remain allies in a game of seduction, revenge, and control. Their letters describe plans they would never admit in public. Each wants the other’s admiration, but neither wants to surrender power.
That’s 1 of 5 key points.
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Who’s who
- The Marquise de Merteuil
- Valmont’s former lover and calculating ally, she manipulates Cécile’s future to take revenge on another man.
- The Vicomte de Valmont
- Merteuil’s former lover and fellow schemer, he pursues Madame de Tourvel while competing with Merteuil for power.
- Madame de Tourvel
- A devout married woman, she attracts Valmont’s attention because her principles seem to place her beyond his reach.
- Cécile de Volanges
- A sheltered young woman recently educated in a convent, she loves Danceny while awaiting an arranged marriage.
- The Chevalier Danceny
- Cécile’s music teacher and young lover, he trusts people whose apparent assistance conceals their own purposes.
About this edition
Every format is free to start, and print and large print are at cost.
- LengthAbout 164,000 words
- Reading timeAbout 10 h 55 min
- Listening time18 h 10 min
- FormatseBook, large-print eBook, audiobook, 15-minute summary
- LanguagesEnglish and 13 other languages